Brindisa: A Story of Spanish Foods

BY MONIKA LINTON

1950s
I first became interested in Spain from listening to my father’s travel stories: in the1950s, he toured its great cities on his Bantam motorbike and slept in haylofts in the countryside as he moved from place to place. This subsequently inspired me to learn the language, experience the cultures and explore the food of Spain…

1980s
After studying Spanish for several years, I settled in Catalonia in 1980 to learn more about the people and the food. The ingredients available were simply extraordinary – I split my time between teaching, working in a restaurant kitchen on the coast of Gerona and preparing meals for friends on the plateau of Vic…

1988
Now back in London, I hosted an impromptu dinner party to which my brother Mark, himself now resident in Catalonia, brought a box of Spanish cheeses, which further inspired my curiosity in the products and produce from artisan makers and growers. It was at this very dinner party we decided to co-found Brindisa, to raise a glass (Brindamos) and celebrate Spanish foods here in the UK…

1990s
In the 1990s, I began building a range of foods from across the peninsula and islands, hunting down the best quality products that I could find in my little Peugeot. As the decade passed we began importing cured meats, hams, cheeses, preserved fish, olives, olive oil and more. It wasn’t long till the best Spain had to offer was being loaded on lorries that were London bound

1998
Now selling to chefs, shopkeepers and curious foodies across London and beyond, I felt it was time to try our hand at retail. In 1988, we converted our Borough Market warehouse into a shop, where we began offering a wide range of new and exciting products to a growing audience…

2004
I was presented with an unexpected opportunity: to take a corner site at Borough Market that was an old potato warehouse. With all of our energy and resources, we created London’s first traditional, no-reservation tapas bar. A place to bring the true food and hospitality of Spain to London’s table for all to enjoy…

2016
Since 1988, Brindisa has cultivated relationships with food producers, winemakers, diners and shoppers alike, sharing a passion for authentic Spanish culture and cuisine. In 2016, I published my first book ‘Brindisa: The True Food of Spain’ to celebrate all that inspired my journey and commitment to food excellence…

2018
Now 30 years on, the Brindisa family continues to grow and flourish and the team continues to hunt down the best ingredients for new recipes, on a mission to pass on to the next generation the passion that I inherited from my father for Spain, its food, its culture and its people. In our 30th year we are thrilled to be opening in Battersea.